Weary Traveller
by X Mini Ninja X
Summary: When the road is too long it's O.K to rest, because Hermes watches over the travellers of the world. Percy/Hermes x
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer; Percy Jackson and The Olympians? Not mine... :'(**

**When the road is too long it's okay to rest, because Hermes watches over the travellers of the world. Percy/Hermes x**

It seemed like all he did lately was fight. The path he was walking seemed so long, so _tiring_. He just wanted to lie down and _sleep_. He couldn't, he knew he couldn't but he still _wanted_ it. Everyday was a step closer to his sixteenth birthday. Everyday was another step closer to a battle he couldn't help but feel he's already lost.

Sometimes when he did sleep he awoke more weary than before. Each dream seemed to bring more problems. Occasionally he wondered how the Gods had ever coped without him.

So, he'd climb from his bed and take the first step of the day. Then he'd stand for a while. Wishing, _wanting_, to turn right around and climb back into the safety of his bed. And just when he went to do just that, someone would be hammering on his cabin door;

"Percy! Breakfast!!"

"Percy! Mrs O'Leary is causing trouble!"

"Percy! Chiron wants a word!"

So he'd continue forwards to wherever life took him that day. When he finally returned to his bed (if he got to that day) it was like rushing into the embrace of a parent. Safe and Warm. There unconditionally. He would sleep. Dream of troublesome things (because nothing was really scary any more) and then awake, tired and desperate for a peaceful sleep.

Each morning he'd lay in bed for a little longer than the last morning, reaching out for any strength he could gather before jumping out onto the cold wood floor and taking that first step. Waiting for the hammering on the door that would give him the strength not to turn back to his bed. Then continuing on through the day.

Eat Breakfast. Talk about bothersome things with friends. Train. Eat Lunch. Talk some more. Argue a bit. Climb the wall O'Doom. Eat Tea. Sing Camp fire songs. Shower. Return to safe haven.

Again and again this schedule repeated its self, occasionally having 'Fight with Monsters/evil Demi-Gods/Luke/Kronos/Any other evil and powerful thing.' added in, just for variety.

He wasn't sure when he started dreading morning. Or Night. All he knew was that insomnia was a frequent thing recently. He didn't have time to sleep, he was too busy getting in extra training. He was fifteen, one year till It happened. He couldn't stop this journey of Doom. Couldn't turn around and go back to those blissful times of normality.

It was one such night of vigorous training by 'beating-the-dummy-to-within-a-inch-of-its-non-existent-life' when Percy received a visit from Hermes. Percy didn't notice him for a while, too caught up in the hypnotic movements of his sword. When he did he nearly jumped completely out of his body and into the underworld with shock. Hermes seemed greatly amused by this and didn't hold back a laugh.

"Lord Hermes!" The God calmed himself and motioned for Percy to come closer.

"Sorry, I have a package for you." Hermes took in Percy's appearance. The boy was normally a pretty sort of handsome but at the moment he looked tired and far too old. Deep bags under his eyes marred the normally porcelain skin and his green eyes were closer to black with exhaustion.

"Oh?" Percy looked at him curiously and Hermes also noted that his voice was slightly deeper and slurred.

"Yeah, from your Father but first I think you should get some sleep. It wont do for the Hero of Olympus to fall to mere exhaustion." Hermes scolded lightly, having already been informed of Percy's insomnia by a rather worried Poseidon. Not that he wasn't already aware of it before he was told by the Sea God.

"It's okay, I'm fine for the moment. Can I have the parcel?" Hermes handed the parcel over and watched as Percy opened it. "It's... a lavender incense stick?" Hermes quirked a grin and cocked his head to one side.

"Really? Do you have anything to burn it in?" Percy thought for a moment then nodded. "Cool! Lets go burn it then!" Hermes suggested (ordered) jumping down from his perch on the rail.

The scent of lavender filled the Poseidon cabin wrapping its self around Percy as he slowly drifted off to the world of sleep he been avoiding for so long. Hermes smoothed the dark hair away and pressed his lips to the boys brow.

"Night Percy, I'll watch over you so its okay to sleep."**  
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**AN: Aww, kinda fluffy at the end, but I REALLY couldn't resist throwing it in! ;) Hope you all enjoyed, please remember to drop a review (Even if its just one word :)) Cause there's no way for me to improve if you guys don't tell me what I'm doing wrong ;)  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer; Percy Jackson and The Olympians? Not mine... :'( **

**When the road is too long it's okay to rest, because Hermes watches over the travellers of the world. Percy/Hermes x**

They weren't supposed to interfere with the Demi-Gods. This was a fact that was as well known as it was hated. This rule did not stop them though. Many Gods tried to slip around the boundaries of the law, help their children without actually interfering. Hermes knew he would have tried to do the same thing with Luke if he hadn't been so resigned to his sons fate. He knew there wasn't any way to save Luke, not really. No matter how much he hoped.

So he promised himself he would help Percy as much as he could. Because if Percy succeeded maybe, _just maybe,_ Luke would be redeemed in death. So he set to it with a heart full of hope for the redemption of his favourite son (even if it was in Death). He gave him the occaisonal gift and advice. But mostly he worked from the sidelines in ways that would never be traced back to him.

He'd watch over Percy whenever he got chance. Making sure that quests were going well, that the boy was healthy. Mentally and physically. Atlas only knew how it felt to have the world resting on your shoulders. How much pressure it put on you.

But somewhere along the line his reason for watching over the boy changed. At first he denied it, continuing to think it was for his son. But he soon realised he had to face reality. He had... grown fond of the boy. He wasn't sure who to blame at first. Aphrodite? Couldn't she understand he had enough problems with Luke? He didn't need _more _heart ache! Then he remembered how desperate Aphrodite was for Percy and Annabeth to get together. So the blame fell to Percy. It was the boys fault for being so Gods damned irresistible!

Eventually though he found comfort in the feeling, the _warmth_ he felt just by thinking about him. He was so ridiculous it made him smile and then the ridiculousness of _that_ had him smiling bigger than ever.

He had been incredibly busy recently and so only had brief moments to check up on Percy (if any at all) but those small moments, the quick glimpses showed him what he needed to know.

It seemed pressure was building up the closer Percy got to his birthday. Poseidon had noticed too it seemed. Hermes was often summoned to receive a package the Sea God wanted delivered to his son, only to leave empty handed when Poseidon decided it wasn't 'enough'. Eventually Poseidon settled on something and off Hermes sped, wondering what the Lord of the Sea had finally decided was 'enough'.

The package was small and light and fanciful thoughts flew through the messengers head on what it could be, none of them seemed likely so he tossed them out. When Percy opened it to reveal incense (_lavender _incense) he was struck speechless for the briefest moment then carried on, without seeming to miss a beat;

"Really? Do you have anything to burn it in?"

Percy was really pretty when he slept, Hermes decided. Not handsome, just... Pretty. As he pressed a kiss to the boys brow he was struck by how young Percy really was. Sometimes he forgot that the great Hero of Olympus was only fifteen, even if he was nearing sixteen. He was still really only a child. He was even younger when he first discovered the weight which rested on his shoulders. His heart swelled with sympathy and pride; how strong Percy must have been to accept it so easily and carry on.

Hermes tried to imagine being twelve/thirteen and discovering that once he hit sixteen something bad would happen which only he could stop. He shook his head and pulled the covers over the sleeping Hero. Percy fully deserved the title of Hero and Hermes hoped that if Percy should ever be offered the title of a God, he would take it. Nobody deserved it more than Percy in Hermes' eyes.

**AN: Heh, a One-shot gone Two-shot (and maybe three-shot if I can get the third chapter out of my brain and onto the page ;)).**

**Thanks to my reviewers!! (Reviews make me all warm inside ^-^)**

**Felicity Dream; Heh I know! _Completely _unforgivable, these two are just _SO_ cute! (Oh my! I sounded a little Fangirly there!)**

**P.S; I know Atlas technically holds the sky but 'the weight of the sky on his shoulders' didn't really sound right... **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer; Percy Jackson and The Olympians? Not mine... :'(**

**A note before you read; Time line? Practically non-existent! I just realised that while typing this so I'd thought I'd share it with you before you get as confused as I did :)**

**When the road is too long it's okay to rest, because Hermes watches over the travellers of the world. Percy/Hermes x**

It all started on his fifteenth birthday.

They had been sat around the kitchen table eating blue cake and ice cream. Just chatting about inane things, holiday homework yet to be done and some song his Mother had heard on the radio earlier and got stuck in her head. Just normal conversation. Without meaning to Percy realised just _what _his birthday meant.

He remembered what would be happening in exactly one year. A sense of dread washed through him settling in his stomach and taking away his appetite. He tried not to let it show and carry on as normal, tried not to let it affect _him._

Gods knew how he tried but it seemed the more he ignored it, the more he acted normal and laughed with friends. The more the feeling grew inside him. Like someone had put a balloon in his stomach and were steadily blowing it up and up till the pressure was near bursting point but still they kept blowing. Pushing and pushing...

His dreams were the usual half-blood dreams. Glimpses into things that were happening/would happen/had happened. He'd wake up and it'd be 'Oh, gotta go save someone.' or 'Just gotta pop to camp, let Chiron know there's a likelihood of Kronos attacking somewhere soon.'

Not unusual and if he was honest those times when he was fighting he could forget the pressure building inside him.

It was the dreams that were the produce of his imagination that troubled him. Eventually causing his almost insomniac state.

The dreams of just _how _that final battle would go and ultimately, how it would _end._

He made sure now that before he allowed himself to sleep he was so drained (mentally and physically) that he would be unable to dream. However upon awakening this morning he noticed three things.

One; He was completely blissed out, like he'd slept for a week.

Two; He was shaking off the cobwebs of a dream. A dream he _couldn't _remember, except the feelings of _contentedness_ it had held within it.

And finally Three; The sunlight burning through the lids of his eyes was _way _too bright to be morning sun.

Percy groaned and sat up, hastily trying to gather his bearings. According to his clock he had been sleeping for much longer than a week (lets try eleven days) and it was indeed past morning. Oh, he also noticed that he was in dire need of a trip to the bathroom, but that was beside the point.

The point being; How in Hades had he been able to sleep so long? Without any interruptions? Why had _nobody_ woken him up?

He stumbled free of his blanket cocoon just as his cabin door burst open to admit his best friend.

"Perr-rrcy!" Grover bleated glancing over his friend as if checking for injuries. "I knew you'd be waking up soon so I brought you some food, did you sleep well?" Percy accepted the plate Grover was thrusting at him and set it on his bedside table, heading towards the bathroom some _angel _had built in his cabin (Gods knew when, but he was still grateful!).

"Chill G-man. I'm just gonna use the bathroom then I'll eat and you can fill me in on what I've missed and maybe tell me _why I've been sleeping so long!" _

"We tried to wake you but it was like raising the dead!" Grover bleated, helping himself to an empty Pepsi can.

"Shoulda called Nico in!" Percy laughed as the door slammed shut behind him.

From outside the Poseidon cabin Hermes smiled to himself listening to the last rings of Percy's laughter before vanishing in a flash of light that went unnoticed.

**AN: J'ai Fini! :) Okay, not exactly the best final chapter, but it took forever to write and it _still _didn't come out right! So I went with second best ;) I really hope you all like it anyway! Please review and let me know!! **

**Once again; THANK YOU to EVERYONE who reviews, you all rock and totally make my day!!**

**&As for HOW Grover knew Percy was going to wake up soon... I believe/hope/pray that the empathy link they share let him know that little tid-bit of information!**

**Anyway, time to nurse my cold (In the summer! Talk about bad timing!) and think about my next possible fanfic :) xxx 3**


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